Chinese leave Buddhist Fellowship meeting because of Tibetan presenceby Joseph Yun Li-sunChinese Buddhists get Tibetan delegates thrown out of world conference. However, unsatisfied they suddenly leave. Samdhong Rinpoche, a former prime minister of Tibet's government-in-exile, is present at the conference. "China still hopes the world might forget" us, Tibetan source tells AsiaNews.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - Chinese delegates taking part in the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) conference in South Korea left the venue in protest against Tibetan participation, organisers said. The Chinese government thus confirms its desire to crush Tibet even from a religious point of view, using diplomatic and economic blackmail to prevent Tibetan representatives from attending important international events.

The 17 Chinese monks and officials invited to the conference returned home two days before its end on Friday. A spokeswoman for the organising committee said that she had asked the three Tibetan delegates to leave. "The WFB secretary-general accepted the Chinese demand that the Tibetans leave so the meeting could go smoothly," a decision she calls "embarrassing". However, the three Tibetans are still taking part in other events at the five-day conference whilst the Chinese left South Korea on Wednesday morning.

About 400 delegates from some 30 countries are taking part in the biannual event in the southern city of Yeosu. Such conferences are held to allow Buddhists from around the world to discuss issues of doctrine that might be addressed in distinct manners in the various countries with substantial Buddhist communities.

China's decision was almost expected when it became known that the South Korean government had granted a visa to Samdhong Rinpoche, a former prime minister of Tibet's government-in-exile.

Although the Dalai Lama has never visited South Korea, Seoul has on several occasions called on China to grant Tibetans "justice and religious freedom". At present, Tibetans in China are caught between Han immigration and Beijing's repressive policies.

"This way of doing things is nothing new," a Tibetan source told AsiaNews. "China still hopes the world might forget and abandon us. Every time a Tibetan takes part in an international forum, they protest. However, as we speak, the Dalai Lama is on a tour of Europe, which goes to show that their efforts

In order to ensure my mind never comes under the power of the self-cherishing attitude,I must obtain control over my own mind. Therefore, amongst all empowerments, the empowerment that gives me control over my mind is the best,and I have received the most profound empowerment with this teaching.-Atisha Dipamkarabrtsal ba'i bkhra drin

Samdhong Rinpoche, a former prime minister of Tibet’s government-in-exile, visits the Expo 2012 in the southern city of Yeosu ahead of the World Fellowship of Buddhists conference on 11 June 2012.(2012 AFP/GettyI mages/World Fellowship of Buddhists Korea Conference)

South Korea’s leading Buddhist organisation Thursday criticised China’s boycott of a religious event in protest at a Tibetan presence, and demanded an apology from Beijing.

The 17 Chinese monks and officials invited to this week’s World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) conference in South Korea abruptly flew home Wednesday after lodging a complaint about the presence of a Tibetan delegation.

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism called their departure “extremely regrettable” and accused them of “lacking the least respect and consideration” for what was supposed to be a purely religious event.

“The Chinese delegates only prioritised their own political agenda by refusing to accept the presence of a Tibetan delegation officially registered as a member of the WFB,” it said in an unusually strongly worded statement.

“The WFB conference should be a purely religious exchange that rules out political interests… we demand that the Chinese delegation offer a sincere apology and promise it will never happen again,” it said.

The Jogye Order also said it actively sympathised with the free religious activities of Tibetan Buddhists and would “seriously reconsider” ties with Chinese Buddhists.

About 400 delegates from some 30 countries are taking part in the two-yearly gathering in the southern city of Yeosu.

The event drew attention after Seoul’s government, in a rare move, approved a visa for Samdhong Rinpoche, an ex-prime minister of Tibet’s government-in-exile.

South Korea has refused in the past to grant a visa for Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, apparently for fear of offending China.

Beijing considers the Dalai Lama a “splittist”, despite his calls for autonomy rather than independence for Tibet, and has stepped up pressure on world leaders not to meet him.

In order to ensure my mind never comes under the power of the self-cherishing attitude,I must obtain control over my own mind. Therefore, amongst all empowerments, the empowerment that gives me control over my mind is the best,and I have received the most profound empowerment with this teaching.-Atisha Dipamkarabrtsal ba'i bkhra drin

That is so profoundly sad....guess we really are in the Dharma ending age..

"But if you know how to observe yourself, you will discover your real nature, the primordial state, the state of Guruyoga, and then all will become clear because you will have discovered everything"-Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

I think that the Koreans presumably knew of the high probability of a response like this in advance, unless they were in extremely deep meditation while organizing this conference. So I would not read too much into this, with regards to the China-Tibet relationship, there it's just status quo. If there is any 'message' to be seen, as commentators of diplomatic events are always keen to look for, it has more to do with Korea-China, though on what level (state-Buddhist orders-others) I have no idea. (That is, if I didn't misunderstand half or all of what happened. )Best wishesLars